An evaluator’s reflections and lessons learned about gang intervention strategies
An agenda for research
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12936715 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Caterina G Roman (0000-0002-4506-4206, Temple University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 2/3 |
| Pages | 148-167 |
| Publication date | 2021-06-28 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1759-6599 • E-ISSN: 2042-8715 |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1108/jacpr-02-2021-0576 |
| OpenAlex | W3174279271 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 11 |
| References cited | 48 |
Purpose This paper is designed to critically review and analyze the body of research on a popular gang reduction strategy, implemented widely in the United States and a number of other countries, to: (1) assess whether researchers designed their evaluations to align with the theorized causal mechanisms that bring about reductions in violence; and (2) discuss how evidence on gang programs is generated and consumed. That review and assessment is then used to frame a research agenda for studying gang interventions. Design/methodology/approach A case study design is used to generate a multi-faceted understanding of the possible avenues for evaluation research on the law enforcement-based strategy known as the Group Violence Intervention. The paper discusses questions that remain to be answered about the strategy, such as “what type of deterrence is operating?” and if the model actually works by the threat of deterrence, and not by removing high-risk offenders and shootings from the street, what activities are needed to maintain the effect? Findings Across roughly two dozen impact evaluations of GVI, none have examined the likely cause and effect components of this multi-partner strategy in reducing the violence. Furthermore, there are many issues related to the production and generation of criminal justice evaluation research that have adversely pushed the balance of evidence on what works in gang reduction toward law enforcement programming. However, there are many strategies that researchers can use to think broadly about appropriate and holistic research and evaluation on gangs and gang programming. Practical implications The recommendations for research, if implemented, can help build a body of knowledge to move toward community-based and restorative models of gang violence reduction. Originality/value This original piece is one of the first essays to contextualize and discuss how aspects of the production of social science research on gangs may directly impact what programs and strategies are implemented on the ground
Computer security · Criminal justice · Criminology · Deterrence (psychology · Deterrence theory · Economic Justice · Enforcement · Intervention (counseling · Law enforcement · Political science · Psychological intervention · Public relations · Computer Science · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Law · Policing Practices and Perceptions · Psychology
The History and Evolution of Gang Scholarship
What’s in a Name? The Framing of Gang Interventions in a City with No “Gangs.”
Bridging organisational silos to prevent violence
Assessing the potential benefits of community-based violence reduction efforts on clearance rates
Transforming gun violence through group intervention
Promoting disengagement
The tangled history of social network analysis and gang research—A long way from Street Corner Society
Multidisciplinary teams, street outreach, and gang intervention
Hot Spots of Gun Violence in the Era of Focused Deterrence
Streetwork at the crossroads
Collaborative Creation of a Logic Model and Performance Metrics for Evaluating a Violence Reduction Program
Disproportionate Minority Contact
Cure Violence
Developmental Precursors of Moral Disengagement and the Role of Moral Disengagement in the Development of Antisocial Behavior
The Primary Factors that Characterize Effective Interventions with Juvenile Offenders
Youth Violence in Boston
The Effects of Focused Deterrence Strategies on Crime
Meta‐Analysis in Criminal Justice and Criminology
Issues in Defining and Applying Evidence-Based Practices Criteria for Treatment of Criminal-Justice Involved Clients
Policing in the Era of Big Data
Considering Focused Deterrence in the Age of Ferguson, Baltimore, North Charleston, and Beyond
Policy and Intervention Considerations of a Network Analysis of Street Gangs
Focused Deterrence Strategies and Crime Control
Focused Deterrence and Improved Police–Community Relations
Changing the Street Dynamic
Most Challenging of Contexts
Effects of Baltimore’s Safe Streets Program on Gun Violence
Interrupting Violence
Playing the man, not the ball’
Evidence-based or biased? The quality of published reviews of evidence-based practices
Does Research Design Affect Study Outcomes in Criminal Justice
Compromised Police Legitimacy as a Predictor of Violent Crime in Structurally Disadvantaged Communities
Street Stops and Police Legitimacy
Crime, the Criminal Justice System, and Socioeconomic Inequality
Understanding Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Arrest
| Unique citing works | 11 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3,67 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 11 |